Indifference/ The Most Effective Response to Irrationality

Phoenix32890 wrote:

Reyn- I usually stay away from political threads, because I don't believe that I am as well versed in the various political scenarios than I would like to be.

I do think though, that in the political threads, unless you are a knee-jerk, one party or another person, there is lots of room for varying opinions amongst different people.

Yes, I feel much the same way as you, but the reason I'm not well-versed is that I take little interest in politics in general. That's not to say that I don't follow it in the news, but never "debate" it with others.

Mind you, I don't enjoy debating anything in general, as I find the activity pointless.

I agree with what you say here:

Phoenix32890 wrote:

Religion goes right to the core of a person's being, and I would suspect that attacks on basic core beliefs would tend to have a much more personal effect.

The make-up with A2K is bound to change from time to time. Nothing in life is static, but rather fluid.

Everything has its ebbs and flows.

This, too, shall pass.

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Lord Ellpus wrote:

I shall confine my activities to those threads that involve the female anatomy for a while. It will be hard, but I think, with a little bit of effort, I can do it.

I agree, but not having the same attraction to the female anatomy, I shall contemplate the well defined gluteus maximus of my male compatriots on this board!

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Excuse me for my gaffe. I meant "glutei maximi".

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Altho I worry about posters having multi-identities, I don't see A2K going down the tubes unless we let it. There's so much more than the political and religion threads. The key is to let 'them' have theirs and we stick to where our interests lie and where we're comfortable. Sometimes I can't resist the urge to add my two cents to certain threads so I say my piece and then move on, regardless of the response. Doesn't matter. We're all entitled to our opinions.

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I think it's a crying shame that the religion forum has become so nasty. I enjoy discussing religious issues and beliefs and concepts. There have been some wonderful and informative threads on religion. I had one on Mary not long ago that had people from many faiths discussing their views on Mary. Fascinating stuff.

I wouldn't start a thread in the religion forum now. I doesn't matter how curious I might be about something.

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boomerang- I think that you have hit the nail on the head. There are lots of fascinating religious topics that would engender an interesting and lively discussion. The problem is, that at this point in time, just about all of the discussions in the S&R forum are becoming tennis matches. The entire point of the forum is distorted.

I don't give a rat's ass as to whether a person believes or not. All I would want is a well thought out, logical thread that relies on individual thought, not the "party line". If I wanted simply a quotation from a religious book, I would read it for myself.

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A tennis match is exactly right.

I've clicked in to many topics thinking that they sound interesting - and actually many of the questions posed are interesting - but by the end of page one it has already started goading and baiting and hurt feelings.

I click out without bothering to read, much less respond.

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Setanta wrote:

Everything here is fair game, and what is truly ironic is that Frank was much harder on the religious than the current crew, yet the level of whining from them has gone up dramatically, even though Frank isn't there heaping scorn on them.

It is very simple. Frank kept the irrational amongst us in line. Although I did not always completely agree with his methods, there were very few who dared "fall into his mouth". He knew how to counter every argument.

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I just don't see why it is always necessary to heap scorn at one another. Some threads call for a lively serious debate and other don't.

I don't adhere to any recognized religion but if people want to join together to pray for our troops -- so what? My brother is a soldier and he is Catholic and he probably appreciates those prayers.

If I want to have a thread about the Church of I Can't Believe It's Not Butter I appreciate people not showing up and telling me I'm going to hell for it.

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Phoenix32890 wrote:

Lord Ellpus wrote:

I shall confine my activities to those threads that involve the female anatomy for a while. It will be hard, but I think, with a little bit of effort, I can do it.

I agree, but not having the same attraction to the female anatomy, I shall contemplate the well defined gluteus maximus of my male compatriots on this board!

Main Entry: gluteus max·i·mus
Pronunciation: -'mak-s&-m&s
Function: noun
Inflected Form: plural glutei max·i·mi /-s&-"mI/
: the outermost of the three muscles in each buttock that arises from the sacrum, coccyx, back part of the ilium and adjacent structures, that is inserted into the fascia lata of the thigh and the gluteal tuberosity of the femur, and that acts to extend and laterally rotate the thigh

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Lord Ellpus wrote:

I shall confine my activities to those threads that involve the female anatomy for a while. It will be hard, but I think, with a little bit of effort, I can do it.

What a pip . . .

The man is a Prince, i tell you . . . always ready to take one for the gipper . . .

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boomerang wrote:

I just don't see why it is always necessary to heap scorn at one another.

Me either. That's the problem with the whole damn planet, IMO.

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I make it my business NOT to heap scorn on people...........................It's just that sometimes when I feel the blood running down my face because of me biting my lips so hard................

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Phoenix32890 wrote:

I make it my business NOT to heap scorn on people...........................It's just that sometimes when I feel the blood running down my face because of me biting my lips so hard................

... prolly a good time to step away from the keyboard Wink

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BBB
Religious people who do no harm don't bother me in the least. They step over the line of deserved tolerance when they do harm in the name of their religion.

BBB

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Re: Indifference/ The Most Effective Response to Irrationali

Phoenix32890 wrote:

I have come to the realization, that when you acknowledge and argue irrationality, with people who refuse to conduct their lives through reason, you are giving irrationality power. It is one thing to argue with people with open minds, who may have differing opinions, and quite another, to argue with those who base their lives on irrationality.

Phoenix, do you consider religion itself irrational? if so, the only threads in Spirituality & Religion you could visit & not encounter irrationality would be those in which only agnostics & atheists participate, which doesn't sound terribly interesting to me.

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Phoenix32890 wrote:

Setanta wrote:
Everything here is fair game, and what is truly ironic is that Frank was much harder on the religious than the current crew, yet the level of whining from them has gone up dramatically, even though Frank isn't there heaping scorn on them.

It is very simple. Frank kept the irrational amongst us in line. Although I did not always completely agree with his methods, there were very few who dared "fall into his mouth". He knew how to counter every argument.

Phoenix,
You have said something very important here. "The irrational amongst us in line." You did not pick any particular group or single posters, you implied it could be anybody. I agree with you.

Frank could be gruff, at times, and get the blood boiling. He did have opinions and valid points to make. He could be quite passionate as can we all. From my perspective, I see the difference to be that there are now more posts, from both sides of the coin, just blasting the other 'group'. Some posts are made, not to add anything to the discussion, but to incite another poster to lose their temper.

Case in point.

Setanta wrote:

Quote:

Everything here is fair game, and what is truly ironic is that Frank was much harder on the religious than the current crew, yet the level of whining from them has gone up dramatically, even though Frank isn't there heaping scorn on them.

This seems to be an admission that the "current crew" are purposely being "hard" on those who post in the religious threads. Why is that necessary?

Quote:

This constitutes special pleading on their part, and i for one am motivated to go after them even more because of it.

The "special pleadings" has just been requests to be civil. It is sad that someone feels a need to "go after them even more because of it" This just shows an immaturity and lack of willingness to discuss rather than just find fault.

Quote:

Our country is already infected with religious loonies who think they deserve a free ride with their nonsense, and think they have a political right to shove their imaginary friend superstition down the throats of others.

Is it necessary to refer to those with whom you do not agree as "religious loonies?" Does the fact that someone posts something on a topic in R&S mean that they are shoving something down the throats of others? Wouldn't that go both ways? I don't know about the U.S.. but in Canada we do have political rights.

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The repeated claim on the part of certain members, posted again, and again, and again--that their religious beliefs ought never be criticized or ridiculed constitute special pleading. For Intrepid, who takes very opportunity he can find to insult me, to suggest that these were only pleas for civility is about as close to outright lying as one can come without going over the line.

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Re: Indifference/ The Most Effective Response to Irrationali

Phoenix32890 wrote:

So, I am of the opinion that the best counter to irrationality is indifference. I will not waste my time arguing with people who do not care to think.........................who parrot predigested ideas, as if they were absolute truth. I am through with it.

I share your frustration, but the answer is not indifference. I think its indifference that has got us where we are today, giving the irrationals the false impression that we take their ideas seriously. Its time to fight nonsense with sense.

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For the record, Miss Eppie and i have had, and continue to have, civil discussions of religious topics. Neo and i have had civil discussions literally for years. As i've indicated here and elsewhere, there are certain members of the imaginary friend crowd who have sparked this hostility.

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Indifference/ The Most Effective Response to Irrationality

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